The House spokesperson, Akin Rotimi, made this known in a statement on Friday.
The statement also detailed the timeline of activities expected to take place before the budget is passed.
According to him, the House of Representatives would also be holding a briefing on the budget on Saturday.
The statement read, “Following the presentation of the 2024 Appropriation Bill by H.E. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, legislative action on the bill has commenced in earnest.
“The House of Representatives held plenary on Thursday, November 30, and Friday, December 1, 2023, to debate the bill extensively, further to which the bill passed Second Reading, and was committed to the House Committee on Appropriation.
“On Saturday, December 2, 2023, further legislative steps would be taken, including a briefing by the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, to guide the leadership of all House Standing Committees on the standardised process of scrutiny and consideration of the budget proposal, as well as the process of engaging the Ministeries, Departments, and Agencies for budget defense.”
It added that the House Committee on Appropriations has further released the sectoral allocations for due scrutiny.
“In line with our Legislative Agenda, the 10th Assembly of the House of Representatives remains committed to ensuring a transparent, inclusive, and thorough process of budget consideration,” it added.
The PUNCH had reported that the House of Representatives passed the N27.5tn 2024 budget for a second reading on Friday.
Leading the debate on the general principles of the budget, a member representing Kosofe Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Kafilat Ogbara, described the 2024 Appropriation Bill as a people-centric budget aimed at bettering the lives of Nigerians.
At the resumed debate on Friday, members took turns to ask for an upward review of the budgetary allocation to education and health, among others.
Making his contribution on the floor of the House, Obinna Ginger, a member of the Labour Party representing Isiala Ngwa North/South Federal Constituency, Abia State, said, “From what was presented by Mr President, the education sector is not fully represented. Let us look at upgrading the allocation to education because we still have less than 26 per cent of the UNESCO benchmark.”
